Elements of Successful Photography~By Rolando Gomez

Photography comes in many genres, and like Hollywood producers, photographers cater to their different audiences in different forms. A good photograph, like a good picture show, will leave movies in the mind. Some genres of photography are sought more than others, some genres pay more than others, and some are easier to master than others; but one form of photography, glamour, is not as “publicly” accepted as the rest, though elements of glamour are more sought after in images today.
The irony of glamour photography’s public acceptance is the elements of it are often found in most photography. You have wedding photographers shooting photojournalistic images, but at the same time, they add just a touch of glamour in most of their “bride” photographs. Other photographers add the element of glamour in their photojournalism, nature, portraits, and fashion images, sometimes knowingly, and sometimes unknowingly.

The evidence of glamour in images is found through the smiles on model’s faces—and these rarely show teeth, only the harmony of the model’s eyes with the corner’s of her lips. Magazines like Maxim, FMH, Details, and photographers like David LaChapelle have imbedded this in our minds, as they are masters of blurring fashion with glamour in their photographs through the use of smiles on model’s faces.

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Good wedding photographers have learned to capture these smiles too, often brides are expressing a glamour pose; smiling, and not just showing teeth. The trick is capturing the smile as it happens, versus a “grip and grin” type image. Elements of glamour within an image bring power to these and other types of photographs. When a bride is sitting on the back of a motorcycle zooming off while her leg is bearing her garter, that is glamour combined with photojournalism. The photojournalism gives it the motion; the leg and garter give it the power of glamour.

Power in photography separates pictures from photographs and photographers from shooters. Anyone can shoot a picture, but not everyone can capture a photograph. Glamour is not something new, its roots go back to the early 1900’s, originating in Hollywood where photographs provided power to the already famous.

The producers wanted their stars to shine, not glimmer, and they knew that good photographers could capture the drama and excitement often associated with Hollywood. Ruth Harriet Louise, a photographer who worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, or MGM during her early twenties, from 1925 to 1930 was one that helped stars shine using glamour. Her hundreds if not thousands of images helped frame the public’s perception of Hollywood glamour and glitz along with placing importance on fashion—impacting us still today.

Hollywood knows glamour sells, and in 1953, Playboy took glamour to new heights thanks to a young man named Hugh Hefner. At that point, glamour pushed the envelope by including nudity. Though nudity is not a requirement in glamour, “showing a little skin” is often a trademark of glamour, not the theatrical make-up and fancy clothes used by your local mall studios to create so-called glamour shots.

Adding a touch of glamour to your photography is easy, it only requires one or more main elements of glamour, and photographers shooting for magazines today are successful in incorporating this in their work.
One of the elements of glamour is to incorporate a clean background, separating the subject from the background, often accomplished with medium to long telephoto lenses. Lens compression, found naturally in telephoto lenses, helps eliminate natural clutter, or distracting details. Tight cropping of the subject to eliminate the background is a basic fundamental of photography that helps separate the subject even more.

Another element is shooting vertical, as verticals tend to be more powerful to the human mind, as we are complacent with the horizontal view we see from the moment we are born. If you don’t believe in verticals, just look at any magazine at the bookstore—it’s vertical, like 99% of all magazines—marketing at its finest. Turn your camera, it was made to shoot verticals, don’t let verticals intimidate you, but provide equal balance with horizontal images for any shoot, as you may need images someday for a horizontal calendar.

Diagonals, or imaginary diagonals, are the powerful lines often found in glamour. The rule is if it has a joint, “it was meant to be bent.” Look at the subject’s facial lines, the neck, arms and legs, don’t be afraid to use tilt where you can, and look for the imaginary diagonals formed naturally by your subject. These diagonals should run from one corner of the image to another, even in their most subtle forms.

While working to form these imaginary diagonals, don’t forget to tilt the head and chin slightly. Avoid shooting nostrils, but avoid shooting chins in chests. Think about how we walk and look in our everyday lives—those with pride walk with their head up high in a charismatic fashion, not down low as though ashamed.
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Finally the last element of glamour is actually four-sub elements with an emphasis on the “S,” and you only need one of the five coming from your subject to produce a photograph that sells. Top-box-office Hollywood movies have mastered most of those “S’s,” known as sexiness, sultriness, sensuality, and seductiveness.

Any of these four add an aura to any image, whether posed for an image, or being chased by the paparazzi your subject’s ability to convey one of the four “S’s” is key and powerful. Be careful on how you communicate to your subject your intent to produce such an effect—it could land you in jail.

Perhaps this is why glamour photography has taken a bad rap at times as narcissistic at its best and downright tawdry and sleazy at its worst. Just like Hollywood, photography has its share of controversy, and with the resurgence of glamour elements in photography, one must be careful in trying to achieve the feel of drama and excitement in an image. When done properly, a touch of glamour in your photography will make your subject shine, placing your subject toe to toe with any Hollywood star any time.

(taken from glamour1.com)